Maine Employment Law Update – August 2016

August 29th, 2016

Minimum Wage Ballot Initiative

An initiative to raise the state minimum wage will appear on the November 8, 2016 referendum ballot. If approved, the measure would raise the state minimum wage from $7.50 per hour to $9 per hour in 2017, with $1 annual increases up to $12 per hour in 2020, and cost of living increases thereafter. The measure would also raise the direct wage for service workers who receive tips from half the minimum wage to $5 in 2017, with annual $1 increases until it reaches the adjusted minimum wage.